In the field of fuels and fuel burning systems, significant research and development is being undertaken to improve the burning efficiency of conventional fuels such as gasoline, diesel and blended fuels, typically used in the operation of internal combustion engines. The focus of this research is in the development of combustion engines which are powered by conventional gasoline and diesel burning fuels, as well as those which can be powered by alternative fuels, particularly methanol and ethanol. The ultimate objective is the creation of an engine which has an optimized fuel burning efficiency and which produces emissions that are free or nearly free of harmful pollutants or which is capable of operation using conventional or alternative fuels. Exemplary of such research is Daimler-Benz's introduction fuel-cell powered, pollutant-free Minivan prototype in 1996, as described in June 1996 issue of the Hydrogen & Fuel Cell Letter, Vol. XI, No.6.
Notwithstanding such research in alternative energy vehicles, there remains significant potential for the application of conventional fuels given a fundamental understanding and proper application of fuel burning principles. These fundamental principles are derived from the first law of thermodynamics and what is common known today as the "Carnot Cycle". Briefly stated, this concept provides that the efficiency of a fuel burning engine can be expressed as a ratio of two temperatures T.sub.in (temperature of air/fuel mixture immediately before combustion) and T.sub.ex (highest temperature of mixture reached during the combustion process). In turn, the maximum efficiency for an engine operating between these two temperatures can be expressed by the equation: ##EQU1##
Given this relation, it is clear that the lower the value for the input temperature, T.sub.in, and the greater the difference between T.sub.ex and T.sub.in, the greater the efficiency of the combustion engine.
Other research performed in the area of fuels and fuel burning systems have not yielded the desired results. The problems which have slowed the evolution of such engines have tended to focus about ineffective fuel conversion methods, inefficient fuel burning and inconsistent emissions results which are a logical result of inefficient fuel conversion and fuel burning. Among the devices typical of this art are those disclosed in the following U.S. Patents:
U.S. Pat. No. Inventor(s) Issue Date 4,201,167 R. I. Bayley May 6, 1980 4,244,188 J. R. Roy Jan. 13, 1981 4,350,133 L. Greiner Sep. 21, 1982 4,333,739 A. M. Neves Jun. 8, 1982 4,407,238 H. Yoon Oct. 4, 1983 4,419,967 A. C. Protacio, et al. Dec. 13, 1983 4,429,534 J. R. Joy Feb. 7, 1984 4,480,622 P. H. Hoffman Nov. 6, 1984 4,499,863 H. S. Gandhi, et al. Feb. 19, 1985 4,716,859 A. Konig, et al. Jan. 5, 1988 4,762,093 R. W. McCabe, et al. Aug. 9, 1988 5,040,518 M. W. Hamm Aug. 20, 1991 5,140,966 M. L. Wong Aug. 25, 1992 5,325,836 D. V. Orzel, et al. Jul. 5, 1994 5,372,115 R. D. Straub, et al. Dec. 13, 1994
The fundamental concepts underlying the majority of these prior art devices fail to consider the utilization of conventional fuels and are predicated on the requirement that methanol or ethanol based fuels be utilized in operation of the internal combustion engines of conventional motor vehicles. The '167patent issued to Bayley, the '188 and'534 patents issued to Joy, the '238 patent to issued Yoon, the '133 patent issued to Greiner, the '739 patent issued to Neves, the '967 patent issued to Protadio, the '863 patent issued to Gandhi, the '859 patent issued to Konig, the '093 patent issued to McCabe and the '115 patent issued to Straub, are exemplary of the devices relying on such concepts. None of these devices are adaptable for use in combustion engine systems which utilize conventional benzene-based fuels. Consequently, none of these devices can be retrofitted onto existing engines. As these devices fail to consider the continued use of benzene-based fuels, they also fail to address the resource and environmental concerns raised by continued use of benzene based fuels. None of these devices are fabricated to be adapted to the engines of vehicles capable of using more than one fuel type. Moreover, several of these devices require the inclusion of numerous and/or distinct parts not heretofore utilized on conventional combustion engines such that expensive and/or extensive adaptations are required for their use in internal combustion engines in use on the roads today.
The most relevant of the devices in the prior art are those disclosed in the '622 patent issued to Hoffman, the '518 patent issued to Hamm, and the '66 patent issued to Wong. The Hoffman device consists of a longitudinal, centrally disposed tube having a series of smaller tubes disposed about its outer surface. Conceptually, the Hoffman device is distinguishable from the present invention as its operation is not only contrary to that of the present invention as well as the principles supporting the Carnot cycle.
In operation, the Hoffman device requires that the air be heated by exhaust gases before mixing with the fuel and again after mixing when it is in combination with the fuel. Vaporization then occurs when the mixture is passed through the peripherally disposed smaller tubes and exposed to heat emanating from exhaust gases which are flowed through the central disposed tube. The steps of pre-heating the air both before mixture and at vaporization elevates the pre-combustion temperature of the air-fuel mixture such that the pre- and post-combustion temperature differential is reduced and the burning efficiency, as described by application of the Carnot cycle, is reduced.
Practically, the Hoffman device is also ineffective as a vaporizer as the disposal of the heated fuel mixture in a series of tubes disposed about the periphery of the device fails to insure the continued vaporized fuel state of the mixture. It fails to enable the vaporization of the fuel mixture in specific and numerous locations, such as in the individual ports of the multiport fuel injection systems which are being fabricated for the engines of vehicles for today and in the future. Moreover, the Hoffman device fails to provide a manner for vaporizing fuel proximate its entry into the air flow and cannot be adapted to fuel systems which use alternative fuels to power the engine.
The Hamm device includes a plurality of tubes having a plurality of fins disposed in a perpendicular relation relative to the plurality of tubes. Exhaust gases passing through the tubes heats the tubes and fins as fuel and air is passed over the fins and over the tubes. The Hamm device is ineffective as a complete fuel vaporizer as the fin-and-tube arrangement is inefficient in vaporizing fuel. Structurally, it makes no provision for a uniform exposure of heat to the fuel passing between the fins. It fails to avoid the accumulation of fuel on either or both the fins and tubes from a failure in vaporization. The Hamm device fails to provide a manner for vaporizing fuel before mixing with the air flow of the motor. It is also unadaptable for use with fuel systems powered by alternative fuels.
The Wong device is distinguishable in that it requires the use of a computer for regulation of the fuel mixture composition, an ultrasonic transducer to initially break-up the liquid prior to vaporization, and other adaptations of component parts to insure its operability. Similarly, the Wong device fails to provide for a manner for vaporizing fuel proximate its entry into the air flow of the motor. It, too, is unadaptable for use with fuel systems powered by alternative fuels.
As discussed in part above, fuel vaporization is a process of particular interest to those skilled in the art as it represents a process for increasing fuel efficiency and optimizing burning efficiency by creation of fuel vapor. Vaporized fuel has a greater burning capacity than an equal amount of fuel in a single drop due to the increased surface area provided by the vaporized, smaller droplets. A smaller size fuel droplet enables a greater fuel burn because the likelihood that the entire fuel droplet is consumed on combustion rather than just the outer surface, or just a portion, of the outer drop is dramatically increased. The increased burning capacity of vaporized fuel also enables a greater burning efficiency of the vaporized fuel and a more effective fuel burning process, resulting in a decrease in the amount of fuel needed to operate the combustion engine as well as the residual, pollutant elements are to released to the environment. Greater resource conservation is also achieved as pollutant emissions are greatly reduced and natural resources are conserved, as well.
A primary objective in designing fuel vaporizing systems is constructing those systems so as to be adaptable to the existing structure of conventional internal combustion engines. Chief among the considerations in such systems to conventional engines is the ability to utilize media currently being employed in such motors as well as other non-conventional media. Among those media conventionally employed in internal combustion engines are electricity and latent heat. The fuel vaporizing attachment of the present invention is adaptable for utilizing both electricity and latent heat. Heat generated from the electricity produced by a conventional engine battery can be employed as a method of heating the fuel vaporizer to a level sufficient to vaporize the fuel passing through a fuel channel. Alternatively, heat generated by operation of the combustion engine, derived from the exhaust manifold and/or the cooling system is employable for heating the fuel vaporizer such that the fuel passing through the channel is vaporized. In either instance, the fuel vaporizing attachment is positioned on the engine such that the fuel is passed through a fuel metering device, such as the carburetor of a conventional, non-fuel injected engine or the fuel injector of a conventional, fuel injected engine, then heated and vaporized by the fuel vaporizing attachment and then inserted into the air flow.
The use of electrically generated and latent heat in conjunction with conventionally employed fuel metering devices is preferred for operation of the fuel vaporizing attachment of the present invention as they provide the greatest adaptability of the present invention to internal combustion engines, regardless of the time of adaptation; at the time of the engine's original manufacture or in an after-market retrofitting. Use of electrical heat produced by the vehicle battery or latent heat carried by the existing exhaust and cooling system, provides additional benefits as well. It allows the fuel to be metered while still in the liquid state and be more easily managed than vaporized fuel. It also allows the fuel to be vaporized prior to its introduction into the air flow, thereby conserving the efficiency of cold intake air, and reducing the amount of heat needed to vaporize the fuel. The fuel vaporizing attachment vaporizes the fuel using wasted heat energy, rather than requiring the installation of separate components to production of extra energy, such as by the technology contemplated by Mercedes Benz. Moreover, it allows fuel to be vaporized using many of the devices already integrated into the existing engine designs including, for example, water pumps, computerized fuel management systems, and intake manifolds.
Therefore, it is an object of this invention to provide a fuel vaporizing attachment which completely vaporizes liquid fuel before the fuel is supplied to the air flow of an internal combustion engine so that a more complete combustion of fuel occurs.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a fuel vaporizing attachment which vaporizes liquid fuel to provide a uniformly mixed air fuel mixture and a better quality air fuel mixture so that a more complete fuel combustion occurs, fuel efficiency is increased and the emission of harmful pollutants is reduced.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a fuel vaporizing attachment which is easily adaptable or retrofittable to internal combustion engines as presently constructed.
It is also an object of the present invention to provide a fuel vaporizing attachment which is adaptable to fuel injected and non-fuel injected internal combustion engines, alike.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a fuel vaporizing attachment which is adaptable to internal combustion engines for powering diverse types of devices including, but not limited to automobiles, motorcycles, lawnmowers, generators, welders, chain saws, and weedeaters.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a fuel vaporizing device which is adaptable for vaporizing fuels that power motors regardless of the type of fuel used.
Further, it is an object of the present invention to provide a fuel vaporizing device which is simple and economical to construct.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a means for vaporizing the fuel proximate the metering device before introduction into the air flow and permit the metering by more than one metering device such as utilized by multiport inject cars.